Chapter 5: Sexology and Medicalization

Throughout most of human history, the topic of sexuality has tended to be viewed through moral or religious lenses, neatly categorized as either righteous or sinful. With the Enlightenment in the late seventeenth century, thinkers began seeking to better understand human nature through the application of empiricism, logic, and reason. Out of this effort developed several fields of study by the close of the nineteenth century, including sexology—the scientific study of human sexuality. Over time, sexology evolved in phases of evolution from its inception until the present day, drawing from and reflecting the social mores of different eras. One notable phase was the increasing medicalization of sexology, which called for the analysis of complexities of human sexuality based on an approach rooted in science, medicine, and pathology. Advocates of this outlook believed that sexual identities, behaviors, or experiences considered to be nontraditional, harmful, or “aberrant” could be diagnosed, treated, and potentially cured. Later researchers adopted a more open-minded perspective, particularly regarding homosexuality, recognizing its widespread presence and lack of detrimental impact, which necessitated a new societal attitude toward same-sex relationships.